


An Unexpected Visitor

by Astronaut_Milky, tobeconspicuous



Series: Now and Then [2]
Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hints at Sonny being in a relationship, Ice Cream & Scotch, M/M, POV Outsider, Rare Pairings, References to Abuse, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, but with who?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-01-05
Packaged: 2019-02-28 12:45:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13271733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astronaut_Milky/pseuds/Astronaut_Milky, https://archiveofourown.org/users/tobeconspicuous/pseuds/tobeconspicuous
Summary: “Just spit it out, Barba,” a man with a Staten Island drawl tore the men’s gazes from one another.“I was just collecting myself, Carisi,” Rafael scowled. “I have an important announcement to make.”





	An Unexpected Visitor

**Author's Note:**

> Astronaut_Milky says "I am 100% invested in this crack ship and I owe it all to tobeconspicuous and also height differences"
> 
> Tobeconspicuous says "Astronaut_Milky is just as culpable, and as always I am in awe of their talent.
> 
> Many thanks to BarbaxCarisi for their wonderful support for acting as a beta for this fic.
> 
> We do not own, only enjoy, and we hope you do as well. Feedback is very much appreciated.

**Then**

 

Olivia stood behind the two way mirror watching carefully as Rafael sat and attempted to negotiate a plea for their current case. She knew this case was wearing the man down, a father who had a reputation for being cruel after imbibing had beaten his son until he was unconscious.

Stephen Rossi had tried claiming it was accidental, that his wife had baited him, that his son had been beaten up by others from the neighborhood, anything to deflect and escape from the charges. Olivia’s detectives were the best though. Rollins and Carisi had quickly gathered enough evidence to put the man away for a long time. Evidence that Rafael was trying to use to his advantage and failing.

Even though his lawyer clearly wanted to, Rossi had no interest in taking a plea, he wanted his day in court, he wanted to prove his innocence. As the man spewed hateful words at Rafael, Olivia was glad Fin was in there at the ready, telling the man to sit back down, and providing back up when needed.

Though even Olivia could see that Rafael clearly needed a break, she sent him a text asking him to take a step back. The look of relief that briefly crossed his face as he checked his phone, as he stood up and made his excuses told her everything that she needed to know. He quickly left the room, closed the door behind him and stepped towards Olivia.

“You okay, Rafa?” She hoped her question sounded more calm than she felt.

“As well as can be expected,” His tone was grim. “Can I please use your office to make a call?”

“Of course,” She forced herself to smile at the prosecutor.

Rafael nodded, he looked slightly happier at the allowance. She watched as he walked into her office and gently shut the door behind him. She turned when she heard the opening of the door to the interrogation room, Fin had stepped outside.

“Rossi wants some time alone with his attorney,” He rolled his eyes. “Barba okay?”

Olivia knew that the prosecutor was a private man so she answered carefully. “He’s fine, the case is just a rough one.”

“That it is,” Fin agreed, he stayed silent until Rafael returned.

“Ready to go again?” Rafael asked, a look of determination on his face.

Fin just tilted his head, “Always, Counselor.” In that moment Olivia was reminded just how well Fin could read people.

She watched as they continued to negotiate with Rossi, but as afternoon crept into late evening it looked as though they would be heading to trial. Eventually Rafael lost his cool, shouted at the man before he stood up and left the room.

“We’re going to trial.” He looked dejected. “At least it will be an easy win.”

“Rafael, No one will-” Rafael wasn’t listening, he was gazing just beyond her shoulder. Olivia was floored by the warm smile that appeared on the prosecutor’s face. She turned to see Trevor Langan had entered the precinct and was making his way towards them. “So that’s who you called?”

Olivia couldn’t help but smirk at the scowl that appeared on his face. “Yes, but I didn’t expect him to come. Trevor,” his face and tone turned soft. “I am happy to see you, but why are you here?”

“You sounded tired and stressed Rafi,” Trevor stated plainly.

The prosecutor rolled his eyes. “I live off coffee, I’m always tired and stressed-”

“I know how hard this case has been on you,” Trevor continued, refusing to let the prosecutor deflect. “I just want to make sure you’re taking care of yourself.”

Rafael looked dejected. “I know, I’m sorry.”

“I love you,” Trevor murmured before stepping forward, he wrapped his arms around the shorter man, drew him into his chest and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

Rafael sighed contentedly, “I love you, too.”

Olivia couldn’t help but smile at the scene before her, two men who were very much in love locked in each other’s embrace. She turned away to give the men some privacy, only to be stopped by Fin. “Is that what I think it is?”

“A hug?” She couldn’t help but tease.

“Yes, no,” Fin rolled his eyes. “Barba and Langan.”

“What do you think is going on?” Olivia challenged her friend.

Fin just stared at her, clearly not in the mood to banter. “How long has this been going on for?”

“A few years now,” she shrugged.

She was glad when his frame stiffened in shock. “You never wanted to share?”

“It wasn’t up to me,” she shrugged.

Fin just shook his head before he gestured with his thumb at the interrogation room. “I’m just going to take Rossi down to central booking.”

“It’s late,” Olivia nodded. “Go home when you’re done.”

“Thanks, Liv,” his smile was genuine.

“Oh and Fin?”

“Yes boss?” He answered immediately.

Olivia couldn’t help the smirk that crossed her features. “When you find them, tell Rollins and Carisi they can go as well.”

“No problem,” he threw her a smile before he turned and made his way back into the interrogation room.

She turned her attention back to Rafael and Trevor, unsurprised to find that they were long gone. Rafael was an incredibly private person, she was glad that he was finally happy to give the rest of the world a glimpse of the man he loved.

 

\--

 

**Now**

 

Rafael was certain that the squad knew two versions of him. They knew him as the powerhouse lawyer, a force to be reckoned with, intelligent, pragmatic and possibly just a touch too arrogant. Surprisingly they also knew him as a caring friend who would do anything for them, though he had never exactly put it into words.

However, there was another side of him that the squad rarely saw.

The part of him that came out as he removed his coat, poured his scotch, and curled up with his partner. Well, not his partner anymore.

_Fiancé._

No matter how many times he said it in his mind, how many times he whispered it into Trevor’s ear, it still didn't feel real.  It almost didn't feel right. As if he didn't deserve the overwhelming, humbling love that Trevor seemed to feel for him.

Still, he had dropped to one knee in their living room, bathed in the warm romantic light of their fireplace, and asked for Trevor to spend his life with him.

And Trevor had said yes.

_Fiancé._

He tapped his foot impatiently as they waited. Part of him wanted to be there already, to have told the squad and be done with it. Another, much louder part, wanted to send a text to Liv and avoid the face-to-face reactions all together.

A warm, comforting hand gently connected with his own, linking their fingers together. He had almost forgotten Trevor was standing next to him.

He lifted his chin to meet Trevor's beautiful steel grey eyes, piercing and soft, the most perfect juxtaposition. A fitting description of Trevor, of Rafael, of their relationship.

“You okay?” he asked, giving Rafael's hand a reassuring squeeze.

“Of course.” He had been aiming for calm and casual, but he was too quick and quiet to fool Trevor.

The elevator doors opened, and Rafael had half a mind to turn around and leave. Before he could back out, Trevor stepped forward, dragging Rafael with him.

Their hands remained linked, and all Rafael could feel was the warmth of Trevor's love, the cool ring around his finger, and the sick pounding of his heart.

It wasn't that he didn't want the squad to know. He wanted the whole world to know. He wanted to walk down the street and have every single person who saw the pair, know that Trevor was his, and he was Trevor's, and they were each other's.

But he _really_ didn't want to say it.

The squad knew him as a lawyer, and as a friend, but something about exposing another facet of himself had him sweating with fear.

“We don't have to do this,” Trevor whispered, pulling Rafael out of his anxious thoughts. Once again, he looked up into those perfect eyes, the ones that had captivated him for years, and he saw something he had once promised himself he would never see again.

Worry.

Worry that perhaps Rafael didn't want this.

Worry that maybe Rafael's hesitation was not because of his own insecurities, but because he was regretting this.

Words were escaping him, as they so often did when he gazed into the taller man's eyes, so he lifted onto his toes and pressed his lips to Trevor's cheek, relishing in the slight stubble and the familiar cologne.

“I want to.”

The elevator doors opened. With every step down the hallway to Liv’s apartment, Rafael believed his words a little more.

He knocked on the door, Trevor’s hand still in his, his nerves and fears now replaced with electric excitement.

 

\--

 

**Then**

 

Before coming to Manhattan SVU, Sonny rarely drank coffee, or caffeine of any kind. Yet it seemed that every officer in the precinct ran on the buzz of caffeine, and soon enough he needed it to survive.

Which was how he found himself in the breakroom with Amanda, drinking a black coffee at ten o’clock at night.

“That Rossi is a piece of work, huh,” Amanda bitterly drawled, dropping into one of the chairs. Sonny joined her at the table, shaking his head.

“He’s no father, that’s for sure.”

They sipped their coffees in a comfortable silence for a moment. It wasn’t always this comfortable. There had been a time recently where he had nearly screwed everything up between them, where he had taken her trust and kicked it into the mud. It had taken a lot of promises, free coffee, and cooked meals to earn her trust once again, and he was grateful for the friendship they had.

“Sonny, what’s that on your collar?” she broke the silence, leaning forward to get a better look. He had barely glanced to find out for himself, when she dramatically sucked in a breath. “Oh my _god,_ is that lipstick?”

He felt his neck flush burgundy, the embarrassment of being caught out on full display. “I, uh-”

“Who’s the lucky gal?”

He swallowed thickly, his throat dry as a bone, as he racked his brain for something, _anything_ , to say. “She, um-”

Amanda’s eyes flicked away from piercing his, instead looking over his shoulder and widening. “What’s Langan doing here?”

He spun around in his chair, spotting the tall man striding in from the elevator.

“Rossi didn’t change lawyers, did he?” he speculated, sipping the bitter liquid currently keeping him awake.

Before Amanda could respond, and before either of them were ready for it, they spotted Barba. They spotted the way his eyes lit up, and his face softened, and his body relaxed. They watched as the taller man whispered something that somehow had the prosecutor softening even more, and nothing prepared them for when Langan stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Barba, pressing a gentle kiss to the shorter man’s forehead.

Sonny felt his jaw drop.

Which was premature, as the sight of Barba returning the hug and murmuring something into Langan’s chest added to the shock of the situation.

Sonny whipped his head around, to see a similar look of pure surprise on Amanda’s face.

“Did you-”

“What just-”

“Are they-”

“What the-”

“Barba and-”

“Langan?”

And because they literally didn’t know what else to do, they burst out laughing.

“This isn’t funny,” Amanda wheezed out as she doubled over.

“It’s actually really sweet,” he similarly breathed out, unable to contain the giggles coming from his lips.

“Something funny?” Fin’s voice had them instantly recovering as they spotted their Sergeant standing in the doorway.

“No.”

“Nope.”

“You saw that, huh?” Fin absolutely did _not_ believe them, instead his face morphed into one of similar amusement.

Sonny glanced to Amanda, who was staring at Fin, dying for an explanation. “Barba and Langan?”

The older man sighed. “Apparently. Going on a few years now.”

“A few years?!” Sonny spluttered. “How come we didn’t know?”

“The man likes his privacy,” Fin shrugged.

They all glanced out the window again, but the couple were nowhere to be seen.

“I’m glad,” Sonny finally spoke. “I’m glad he has someone.”

Amanda warmly smiled. “Me too.”

“Liv says you guys can head on home,” Fin said simply.

Sonny near-groaned with relief, ready to head on home. As if on cue, his phone vibrated with a message.

_Meet me at my place in an hour._

His heart thumped excitedly as he drained his coffee, pulling himself from the chair.

“Carisi, is that lipstick on your collar?”

This time he fully groaned, knowing very well that he would never hear the end of this.

 

\--

 

**Now**

 

Trevor could tell Rafael was nervous so he did the only thing that felt natural, he took Rafael’s hand with his own, linking their fingers together.

“You okay?” he asked his fiance.

 _Fiancé_. The word still felt strange to Trevor and yet so very natural. He had never expected Rafael to propose, on Christmas no less like the closet romantic that he was. It had only been a month since that quiet Christmas morning, when Rafael got down on bended knee and produced a dark purple velvet box from his pocket and asked Trevor to marry him. The silver band that Rafael had expertly chosen now rested on Trevor’s finger, a permanent reminder of what was to be.

“Of course,” Rafael interrupted his thoughts. The prosecutor was trying to come off as calm, but Trevor had always been able to read the man like a book.

Trevor all but dragged Rafael into the elevator by their linked hands. As they slowly rose towards Liv’s floor he watched a range of emotions flicker across the shorter man’s face.

“We don't have to do this,” Trevor soothed quietly, trying not to let his own worries be apparent.

As always, Rafael seemed to read his mind. “I want to.”

The elevator doors opened and they stepped out, their hands still linked. It was Rafael who knocked on his friends door, who smiled as Liv invited them inside. Rafael who kept their hands linked for as long as possible, until Noah came bounding over expecting a hug from his uncle Rafa. And it was Rafael who beckoned Trevor to sit down on the couch with him so he could formally introduce him to the people he called family.

Of course Rafael delayed the formal announcement until he had a glass of scotch in hand. The man cleared his throat and stood up, drawing everyone’s attention. Trevor made sure to make eye contact with him, and when his grey eyes locked with Rafael’s green ones a rare smile graced the prosecutor’s handsome face.

“Just spit it out, Barba,” a man with a Staten Island drawl tore the men’s gazes from one another.

“I was just collecting myself, Carisi,” Rafael scowled. “I have an important announcement to make.” His breath caught in his throat.

Trevor looked around at Rafael’s colleagues and noticed Carisi was slowly going red. The young man looked as though he was going to vibrate off his seat, Trevor caught his eye and shook his head. He was not going to let Rafael’s moment be stolen from him.

“Several days ago I asked Trevor to marry me,” Trevor was glad that the fond smile hadn’t disappeared from his fiancé’s face. “And he so graciously accepted.”

“I knew it!” Carisi practically leapt up from his seat only to be met by eyerolls from his colleagues. Even so they all rose to their feet, offered their congratulations and drew the men into awkward hugs.

“Congratulations,” Olivia said as her arms were wrapped around Trevor. “When did he actually propose?”

“Christmas morning,” the defense attorney couldn’t help but glow at the memory.

Liv let out a burst of laughter. “Our Rafael is a closet romantic, who would have known?”

Trevor knew.

He knew how Rafael loved to give gifts, but that he loved to receive them more. He knew how the man took his coffee, what his favourite meal was and how he loathed driving. He knew how passionate the man was when he was at work, and how passionate he was in bed. He knew how the words ‘ _I love you_ ’ sounded as they fell from Rafael’s lips and he couldn’t wait to hear how it sounded when those same beautiful lips pronounced the words ‘ _I do_.’

As Olivia continued to chat to him, Trevor looked down at the silver band that rested comfortably on his finger. To Trevor ‘ _fiancé_ ’ felt so real, so natural, but looking at the man he loved he knew that husband would make him feel complete.


End file.
